Distribution and abundance patterns of bird community and raptor populations in the Andaman archipelago

A qualitative survey of the terrestrial bird community (sixty-five species) and a quantitative analysis of the five-diurnal raptor assemblage were earned out on 33 islands of the oceanic Andaman archipelago in the Bay of Bengal Among seven geographical parameters, island area was the main determinant of species richness for both the whole bird community and each category of species associated with four habitat types Species richness decreased most markedly with island size in the smallest islands and in open habitat species The rarest forest species were the most extinction prone with decreasing island size Specific habitat selection was the most prominent ecological correlate of inter island species distribution Observed species distribution patterns did not fit the random species placement or equprobable occurrence hypotheses Raptors were primarily forest species, two of them restricted to forest interior, two more tolerant of fragmentation and one naturally associated with mangroves Unexpectedly, the two rarest and most area sensitive raptors were the two smallest species with a strong active flight, whereas the most abundant and widespread species was the most forest interior and endemic taxon Both raptor species richness, species frequency of occurrence and abundance indices decreased with island area, which was consistently the most significant determinant of every species' occurrence and abundance There was a significant correlation between abundance or frequency of occurrence of every raptor species and the proportion of their preferred habitat type No relationship was found between habitat niche breadth or local abundance of any species and their distribution range among islands The hypothesis of random composition of species assemblages on islands was not supported because of species specific habitat selection Any evidence of interspecific competitive exclusion was limited to the striking habitat segregation of the two congeneric serpent eagles A metapopulation structure was suggested by small population distribution patterns, observed sea crossing and the circumstances of an apparent extinction     

Abundance-age-area relationships in an insular plant community

Two processes are thought to generate positive relationships between species richness and island area. The areaper se hypothesis states that larger islands maintain larger populations, which are less susceptible to extinction. The habitat hypothesis states that larger islands contain more habitats, and therefore a greater number of habitat specialists. However, the importance of each mechanism is debated. I tested the areaper se and habitat hypotheses by comparing relationships between plant abundance, age and island area in five shrub species on islands off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. Results showed that two shrub species increased in both abundance and age with island area. The remaining three species showed no differences in abundance and age with island area. Conifer abundances increased with island area, which generated differences in habitat availability. Smaller islands were dominated by open habitat, while larger islands contained both open and forested habitats. Changes in habitat availability with island area could explain patterns in plant abundance and age. The two species that increased in abundance with island area were commonly found in conifer forest on the mainland, and their distributions were consistent with the distribution forest habitat. Positive relationships between plant age and island area in these two species may result from lower survivorship in the open habitat, which dominated small islands. The three species that showed no relationship between abundance and island area are commonly found in open habitat on the mainland, and their island distributions paralleled the availability of open habitat on islands. Similar plant ages on different sized islands may result from their occurrence in open habitat on both large and small islands. Overall results support the habitat hypothesis and indicate that species distributions result from the interaction between habitat affinities and changes in habitat availability with island area.     

Frugivore gape size and the evolution of fruit size and shape in southern hemisphere floras

Abstract The present study uses differences among frugivore faunas of the southern hemisphere landmasses to test whether frugivore characteristics have influenced the evolution of fruit traits. Strong floristic similarities exist among southern landmasses; for example, 75% of New Zealand vascular plant genera also have species in Australia. However, plants in Australia and South America have evolved in the presence of a range of mammalian frugivores, whereas those in New Zealand, New Caledonia and the Pacific Islands have not. In addition, the avian frugivores in New Zealand and New Caledonia are generally smaller than those of Australia. If frugivore characteristics have influenced the evolution of fruit traits, predictable differences should exist between southern hemisphere fruits, particularly fruit size and shape. Fruit dimensions were measured for 77 New Zealand species and 31 Australian species in trans‐Tasman genera. New Zealand fruits became significantly more ellipsoid in shape with increasing size. This is consistent with frugivore gape size imposing a selective pressure on fruit ingestability. This result is not a product of phylogenetic correlates, as fruit length and width scaled isometrically for Australian species in genera shared with New Zealand. Within‐genus contrasts between New Zealand and Australian species in 20 trans‐Tasman genera showed that New Zealand species have significantly smaller fruits than their Australian counterparts. Within‐genus contrasts between New Zealand and South American species in nine genera gave the same result; New Zealand species had significantly smaller fruits than their South American counterparts. No difference was found in fruit size or shape between New Zealand and New Caledonia congeneric species from 12 genera. These results are consistent with the broad characteristics of the frugivore assemblage influencing the evolution of fruit size and shape in related species. The smaller‐sized New Zealand frugivore assemblage has apparently influenced the evolution of fruit size of colonizing taxa sometimes within a relatively short evolutionary timeframe.     

Ecological differentiation between the Sardinian endemic Maniola nurag and the pan-European M. jurtina

Recently refined evolutionary theories have highlighted that ecological interactions and environmental gradients can play a major role in speciation. This paper reports on a 3‐year field study, in which the ecology of two congeneric butterfly species was used to explore and compare the environmental factors determining their spatial distribution. These data are discussed in the context of possible speciation scenarios between the Sardinian populations of Maniola nurag and M. jurtina. M. nurag is endemic to the island of Sardinia, while M. jurtina is widespread over Europe. In Sardinia, the two species are locally sympatric. Mark–release–recapture experiments were combined with measures of environmental variables in 15 1‐ha plots, established in areas of potential habitat for the butterflies. Constrained linear models were parameterized from mark–recapture data to estimate both individual (survival and capture probabilities) and population (population size and recruitment) parameters. The two species had similar demography, movement patterns, life history, and behaviour. Population sizes developed in a parabolic fashion from beginning to end of the flight season. Differences included local population size, adult phenology, and habitat requirements. Long‐distance movements larger than 1.5 km were observed, suggesting a substantial amount of gene‐flow between populations of the endemic as well as the widespread species. Multivariate analyses revealed four main environmental gradients responsible for the abundance of the butterflies in an area. Both species responded similarly to environmental variables. However, each species’s abundance was correlated with a different environmental gradient determined by vegetation cover and structure. When sympatric, the two species responded to subtle differences in microhabitat structure. This might originally have induced their divergence. This study is an example of how empirical field data on population dynamics, dispersal, and habitat characteristics of two sympatric congeners can further our understanding of how species differentiate despite existing gene‐flow. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 89 , 561–574.     

北京发现凤头鹰和黑翅鸢

报道了凤头鹰(Accipiter trivirgatus)和黑翅鸢(Elanus caeruleus)2个北京鸟类分布新记录。以上鸟类未见于《北京鸟类志》、《北京脊椎动物检索表》等文献记载。《中国鸟类分布与分类名录》上所列其分布区中也不包括北京。以上鸟类是北京地区近年来新记录到的猛禽。     

Prey preferences and recent changes in diet of a breeding population of the Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis in Southwestern Europe

Capsule: Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis diet has changed significantly since the 1980s, probably due to changes in populations of preferred prey species.

Aims and methods: To assess changes to the breeding season diet of the Northern Goshawk in southwest Europe over three decades. We examined prey remains at and around nests and assessed avian prey availability using point count and line transect surveys.

Results: During 2008–11, Goshawks mainly ate birds, with Feral Pigeons Columba livia f. domestica being the most important prey species. Goshawks preferred prey of 100?400?g and forest prey species to non-forest species. Goshawk diet has changed significantly over recent decades: 22% of current prey items belong to species that were not part of the diet in the 1980s. We suggest that these dietary changes reflect changes in the abundance of prey species of the preferred size caused by changes in land use leading to an increase in forest cover, new prey species colonization and changes in the abundance and management of domestic prey.

Conclusion: This study emphasizes that major transformations occurring in agroforestry systems are affecting the main preferred prey of important forest predators, which may have consequences for conservation of both the predators and their prey.     

Breeding season diet of the Goshawk Accipiter gentilis in Wales

Information on the diet of the Goshawk Accipiter gentilis during the breeding season was collected in Wales during 1991–1993. Diet consisted mainly of birds (87%) and mammals (13%). Forty-five prey species were collected, ten of which were important in numerical or biomass terms: Feral Pigeon Columba livia , Woodpigeon Columba palumbus , Crow/Rook Corvus coronet Corvus frugilegus , Magpie Pica pica , Jay Garrulus glandarius , Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus , Song Thrush Turdus philomelos , Blackbird Turdus merula , Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis and Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus . Pigeon biomass was important throughout the breeding season and was more important in the diet of nesting Goshawks on higher ground (>250 m). On lower ground, corvids, mammals and pigeons were the main contributors to the Goshawk diet. Rabbits were more frequently taken at lower nesting territories, and thrushes occurred at all altitudes. Mammals, particularly Grey Squirrel, were found in higher numbers in the diet of Goshawks nesting in small woods (<1000 ha) compared with the diet of Goshawks nesting in two large forests ( c . 3500 ha and c . 6100 ha). Goshawks preyed upon juvenile Woodpigeons, corvids and thrushes, and switched from young thrushes to young corvids as the latter became available. Predation peaks on young birds corresponded with the presence of nestling Goshawks in late May to early July. Predation of juvenile prey led to a decrease in mean prey item mass (April-May, 437 g; July, 376 g). No evidence was found to suggest that sexual size dimorphism in Goshawks resulted in partitioning of prey captured during the breeding season. Differences found were probably due to local abundance and vulnerability of prey species rather than specific selection by the two sexes.     

Older than New Caledonia emergence? A molecular phylogenetic study of the eneopterine crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea)

Aim A New Caledonian insect group was studied in a world‐wide phylogenetic context to test: (1) whether local or regional island clades are older than 37 Ma, the postulated re‐emergence time of New Caledonia; (2) whether these clades show evidence for local radiations or multiple colonizations; and (3) whether there is evidence for relict taxa with long branches in phylogenetic trees that relate New Caledonian species to geographically distant taxa. Location New Caledonia, south‐west Pacific. Methods We sampled 43 cricket species representing all tribes of the subfamily Eneopterinae and 15 of the 17 described genera, focusing on taxa distributed in the South Pacific and around New Caledonia. One nuclear and three mitochondrial genes were analysed using Bayesian and parsimony methods. Phylogenetic divergence times were estimated using a relaxed clock method and several calibration criteria. Results The analyses indicate that, under the most conservative dating scenario, New Caledonian eneopterines are 5–16 million years old. The largest group in the Pacific region dates to 18–29 Ma. New Caledonia has been colonized in two phases: the first around 10.6 Ma, with the subsequent diversification of the endemic genus Agnotecous, and the second with more recent events around 1–4 Ma. The distribution of the sister group of Agnotecous and the lack of phylogenetic long branches in the genus refute an assumption of major extinction events in this clade and the hypothesis of local relicts. Main conclusions Our phylogenetic studies invalidate a simple scenario of local persistence of this group in New Caledonia since 80 Ma, either by survival on the New Caledonian island since its rift from Australia, or, if one accepts the submergence of New Caledonia, by local island‐hopping among other subaerial islands, now drowned, in the region during periods of New Caledonian submergence.     

Climate and Soil Type Together Explain the Distribution of Microendemic Species in a Biodiversity Hotspot

The grasshopper genus Caledonula, endemic to New Caledonia, was studied to understand the evolution of species distributions in relation to climate and soil types. Based on a comprehensive sampling of 80 locations throughout the island, the genus was represented by five species, four of which are new to science, of which three are described here. All the species have limited distributions in New Caledonia. Bioclimatic niche modelling shows that all the species were found in association with a wet climate and reduced seasonality, explaining their restriction to the southern half of the island. The results suggest that the genus was ancestrally constrained by seasonality. A molecular phylogeny was reconstructed using two mitochondrial and two nuclear markers. The partially resolved tree showed monophyly of the species found on metalliferous soils, and molecular dating indicated a rather recent origin for the genus. Adaptation to metalliferous soils is suggested by both morphological changes and radiation on these soils. The genus Caledonula is therefore a good model to understand the origin of microendemism in the context of recent and mixed influences of climate and soil type.     

Reproductive biology of the endangered Ouvea Parakeet Eunymphicus cornutus uvaeensis

The reproductive biology of the endangered Ouvea Parakeet Eunymphicus cornutus uvaeensis , an endemic subspecies of Ouvea island (Territory of New Caledonia, Southwest Pacific) was studied from June 1994 to February 1996. Breeding was recorded from early August until late January. All nests were sited in cavities of native forest trees, 90% of them in Syzygium sp. and Mimusops sp. Mean clutch size was 2.9 eggs (range 2–3), and double clutches were recorded. Incubation lasted 21 days and the nestling period averaging 43 days. An average of 1.65 chicks fledged per nest but only 0.75 per breeding pair were still alive 30 days after fledging. The main causes of chick loss were starvation of the third sibling during the first week due to hatching asynchrony, raptor (presumably Brown Goshawk) predation of fledglings and human harvest for the pet trade. Growth curves and multiple regressions of weight, culmen-width and -length, tarsus- and wing-length, showed that wing-length was a good predictor of age, and that there were significant differences between the sexes for weight and culmen-width. The pattern of the breeding season, brood reduction, nest-site characteristics and presumed size of breeding territories suggest that both food and availability of suitable nest-sites may be factors limiting breeding productivity. Proposals for conservation of this endangered bird are presented.     

Body size and migration rate in moths

Migration rate is often thought to be affected by species distribution, abundance, body size, and niche width, but empirical results are controversial and fragmentary. In this study we examined these relationships in a large assemblage of noctuid moths. Migration rate was measured using two approaches, directly with a mark-recapture study in a network of small islands, and indirectly on the basis of the occurrence of moths outside their breeding habitat. The effects of the factors assumed to affect migration rate were adjusted for taxonomy using a simple yet novel approach based on logistic regression. Both with and without adjusting for taxonomy, the results indicate that abundance and body size influence migration rate, that the effects of abundance and body size have a negative interaction, and that the effects of ecological specialization on migration rate are evident (monophagous species migrate less than oligophagous or polyphagous species). The incidence of island or habitat patch occupancy was not affected by body size, most likely because body size has several contrasting consequences on the processes that determine island occupancy. Migration rate appears to be an evolutionarily labile character, which can readily transform in different phylogenetical lineages of moths.     

Distribution and abundance of the dugong in New Caledonia, southwest Pacific

New Caledonia is at the eastern limit of the dugong's range. In June 2003 standardized dugong aerial survey methodology was used to estimate the abundance and distribution of dugongs in the coastal waters of New Caledonia, resulting in a population estimate of 1,814 ± SE 332. This represents the largest concentration of dugongs in Melanesia and one of the largest populations in the world, outside Australia and the Arabian region. Calves comprised 7.2% of the population. The observed density of dugongs was highest in the center and southern part of the west coast of the island but not significantly different from the density on the north west and north east. In the central west region, sightings were associated with a pass in the barrier reef and up to a third of the on‐survey sightings were outside of the barrier reef. The dugong distribution we observed during June 2003 differs from the reported locations of historical hunts in several respects.     

Long-term ecological change in a conservation hotspot: the fossil avifauna of Mé Auré Cave,New Caledonia

Through the continuing accumulation of fossil evidence, it is clear that first human arrival on islands around the world was linked to a rise in the extinction rate for vertebrates. Bones in human-era fossil sites can also reveal changes in the composition and structure of ecological communities due to human environmental impacts. New Caledonia is a large and biogeographically distinct island in the southwest Pacific and is considered a critical priority for biodiversity conservation. We examined fossil birds from the Mé Auré Cave site (WMD007), located in lowland dry forest on the west coast of New Caledonia. Accumulation of bird skeletal material in the cave was primarily through deposition in barn owl (Tyto alba) pellets. The site recorded the island-wide extinction of two species and extirpation of at least two other species from the lowlands in the past 1200 years. Species richness of birds in the stratigraphic deposit was quite high, reflecting the catholic diet of barn owls on islands, and many species have continued to persist near the site despite loss and degradation of the dry forest. However, we found substantial turnover in relative abundance of species in the cave deposit, with edge and open country birds becoming more common through time. These changes may reflect the severe reduction of dry forest habitat during the colonial period. This work provides a temporal record of avifaunal and environmental change in the threatened dry forest habitat that should be particularly informative for ongoing conservation and restoration efforts.     

Unusual abundance–range size relationship in an Afromontane bird community: the effect of geographical isolation?

Aim To show that the frequently reported positive trend in the abundance–range‐size relationship does not hold true within a montane bird community of Afrotropical highlands; to test possible explanations of the extraordinary shape of this relationship; and to discuss the influence of island effects on patterns of bird abundance in the Cameroon Mountains. Location Bamenda Highlands, Cameroon, Western Africa. Methods We censused birds during the breeding season in November and December 2003 using a point‐count method and mapped habitat structure at these census points. Local habitat requirements of each species detected by point counts were quantified using canonical correspondence analysis, and the size of geographical ranges of species was measured from their distribution maps for sub‐Saharan Africa. We tested differences in abundance, niche breadth and niche position between three species groups: endemic bird species of the Cameroon Mountains, non‐endemic Afromontane species, and widespread species. Results We detected neither a positive nor negative abundance–range‐size relationship in the bird community studied. This pattern was caused by the similar abundance of widespread, endemic and non‐endemic montane bird species. Moreover, endemic and non‐endemic montane species had broader local niches than widespread species. The widespread species also used more atypical habitats, as indicated by the slightly larger values of their niche positions. Main conclusions The relationship detected between abundance and range size does not correspond with that inferred from contemporary macroecological theory. We suggest that island effects are responsible for the observed pattern. Relatively high abundances of montane species are probably caused by their adaptation to local environmental conditions, which was enabled by climatic stability and the isolation of montane forest in the Cameroon Mountains. Such a unique environment provides a less suitable habitat for widespread species. Montane species, which are abundant at present, may also have had large ranges in glacial periods, but their post‐glacial distribution may have become restricted after the retreat of the montane forest. On the basis of comparison of our results with studies describing the abundance structure of bird communities in other montane areas in the Afrotropics, we suggest that the detected patterns may be universal throughout Afromontane forests.     

Using abundance and habitat variables to identify high conservation value areas for threatened mammals

The present study used abundance and habitat variables to design High Conservation Value Forests for wildlife protection. We considered great apes (Gorilla gorilla gorilla and Pan troglodytes troglodytes) as model species, and we used nest surveys, dietary analysis and botanical inventories to evaluate whether the traditional methods that use abundance data alone were consistent with the survival of the species. We assumed that setting a local priority area for animal conservation can be made possible if at least one variable (abundance or habitat variables) is spatially clustered and that the final decision for a species may depend on the pattern of spatial association between abundance, nesting habitat and feeding habitat. We used Kernel Density Estimation to evaluate the spatial pattern of each biological variable. The results indicate that all three variables were spatially clustered for both gorillas and chimpanzees. The abundance variables of both animal species were spatially correlated to their preferred nesting habitat variables. But while the chimpanzee feeding habitat variable was spatially correlated to the abundance and nesting habitat variables, the same pattern was not observed for gorillas. We then proposed different methods to be considered to design local priority areas for the conservation of each great ape species. Alone, the abundance variable does not successfully represent the spatial distribution of major biological requirements for the survival of wildlife species; we, therefore, recommend the integration of the spatial distribution of their food resources to overcome the mismatch caused by the existence of a biological interaction between congeneric species.     

New Zealand endemic open-habitat specialist,the Black-fronted Tern (Chlidonias albostriatus), experienced population expansion during Pleistocene glaciation and recent decline

Understanding how climatic and environmental changes, as well as human activities, induce changes in the distribution and population size of avian species refines our ability to predict future impacts on threatened species. Using multilocus genetic data, we show that the population of a threatened New Zealand endemic open-habitat specialist, the Black-fronted Tern Chlidonias albostriatus – in contrast to forest specialists – expanded during the last glacial period. The population has decreased subsequently despite the availability of extensive open habitat after human arrival to New Zealand. We conclude that population changes for open habitat specialists such as Black-fronted Terns in pre-human New Zealand were habitat-dependent, similar to Northern Hemisphere cold-adapted species, whereas post-human settlement populations were constrained by predators independent of habitat availability, similar to other island endemic species.     

Spatial predictability of juvenile fish species richness and abundance in a coral reef environment

Juvenile reef fish communities represent an essential component of coral reef ecosystems in the current focus of fish population dynamics and coral reef resilience. Juvenile fish survival depends on habitat characteristics and is, following settlement, the first determinant of the number of individuals within adult populations. The goal of this study was to provide methods for mapping juvenile fish species richness and abundance into spatial domains suitable for micro and meso-scale analysis and management decisions. Generalized Linear Models predicting juvenile fish species richness and abundance were developed according to spatial and temporal environmental variables measured from 10 m up to 10 km in the southwest lagoon of New Caledonia. The statistical model was further spatially generalized using a 1.5-m resolution, independently created, remotely sensed, habitat map. This procedure revealed that : (1) spatial factors at 10 to 100-m scale explained up to 71% of variability in juvenile species richness, (2) a small improvement (75%) was gained when a combination of environmental variables at different spatial and temporal scales was used and (3) the coupling of remotely sensed data, geographical information system tools and point-based ecological data showed that the highest species richness and abundance were predicted along a narrow margin overlapping the coral reef flat and adjacent seagrass beds. Spatially explicit models of species distribution may be relevant for the management of reef communities when strong relationships exist between faunistic and environmental variables and when models are built at appropriate scales.     

How do similarities in spatial distributions and interspecific associations affect the coexistence of Quercus species in the Baotianman National Nature Reserve,Henan, China

Congeneric species often have similar ecological characteristics and use similar resources. These similarities may make it easier for them to co‐occur in a similar habitat but may also lead to strong competitions that limit their coexistence. Hence, how do similarities in congeneric species affect their coexistence exactly? This study mainly used spatial point pattern analysis in two 1 hm² plots in the Baotianman National Nature Reserve, Henan, China, to compare the similarities in spatial distributions and interspecific associations of Quercus species. Results revealed that Quercus species were all aggregated under the complete spatial randomness null model, and aggregations were weaker under the heterogeneous Poisson process null model in each plot. The interspecific associations of Quercus species to non‐Quercus species were very similar in Plot 1. However, they can be either positive or negative in different plots between the co‐occurring Quercus species. The spatial distributions of congeneric species, interspecific associations with non‐Quercus species, neighborhood richness around species, and species diversity were all different between the two plots. We found that congeneric species did have some similarities, and the closely related congeneric species can positive or negative associate with each other in different plots. The co‐occurring congeneric species may have different survival strategies in different habitats. On the one hand, competition among congenerics may lead to differentiation in resource utilization. On the other hand, their similar interspecific associations can strengthen their competitive ability and promote local exclusion to noncongeneric species to obtain more living space. Our results provide new knowledge for us to better understand the coexistence mechanisms of species.     

Overview of the Distribution,Habitat Association and Impact of Exotic Ants on Native Ant Communities in New Caledonia

Ants are among the most ubiquitous and harmful invaders worldwide, but there are few regional studies of their relationships with habitat and native ant communities. New Caledonia has a unique and diverse ant fauna that is threatened by exotic ants, but broad-scale patterns of exotic and native ant community composition in relation to habitat remain poorly documented. We conducted a systematic baiting survey of 56 sites representing the main New Caledonian habitat types: rainforest on ultramafic soils (15 sites), rainforest on volcano-sedimentary soils (13), maquis shrubland (15), Melaleuca-dominated savannas (11) and Acacia spirorbis thickets (2). We collected a total of 49 species, 13 of which were exotic. Only five sites were free of exotic species, and these were all rainforest. The five most abundant exotic species differed in their habitat association, with Pheidole megacephala associated with rainforests, Brachymyrmex cf. obscurior with savanna, and Wasmannia auropunctata and Nylanderia vaga present in most habitats. Anoplolepis gracilipes occurred primarily in maquis-shrubland, which contrasts with its rainforest affinity elsewhere. Multivariate analysis of overall ant species composition showed strong differentiation of sites according to the distribution of exotic species, and these patterns were maintained at the genus and functional group levels. Native ant composition differed at invaded versus uninvaded rainforest sites, in the absence of differences in habitat variables. Generalised Myrmicinae and Forest Opportunists were particularly affected by invasion. There was a strong negative relationship between the abundance of W. auropunctata and native ant abundance and richness. This emphasizes that, in addition to dominating many ant communities numerically, some exotic species, and in particular W. auropunctata, have a marked impact on native ant communities.     

Invertebrate survey of coastal habitats and podocarp forest on Ulva Island,Rakiura National Park,New Zealand

Abstract

Inventory of the invertebrate fauna is important to establish taxonomic diversity, abundance and distribution, and hence the conservation of indigenous biodiversity. Invertebrate assemblages have been documented in some broadleaf‐podocarp forests and grassland habitats in New Zealand, but not in dense stands of coastal forest or in mature podocarp forest. This survey aimed to provide a taxonomic inventory of terrestrial invertebrates and their habitat associations on Ulva Island (Rakiura National Park, Stewart Island), an off‐shore sanctuary of significant conservation value in New Zealand. We systematically documented the invertebrate assemblages collected in ground litter and on tree trunks on the island. The invertebrate specimens identified represented 4 phyla, 6 classes, 25 orders and 62 species. The invertebrate fauna reported in this survey was distinct from those of lowland shrubland and broadleaved‐Nothofagus forests on the mainland, but shared species with that reported from another similar off‐shore island, Codfish Island (Whenua Hou).